Reynolds and Redland Shire Council

Reynolds and Redland Shire Council
(2000 L0035, 25 October 2001) 

The applicant sought access to a large number of documents relating to complaints to the Council by various third parties.  The third parties had complained to the Council, and to the local Councillor, over a number of years about noise made by the applicant's power tools, and some third parties had alleged that the applicant was running a woodworking business, or other businesses, from his home in a residential area without Council permission. 

The bulk of the matter in issue was disclosed to the applicant during the course of the review.  The Deputy Information Commissioner found that the remaining matter qualified for exemption from disclosure under s.44(1) of the FOI Act, because it would disclose the identities of third parties who had complained about the applicant, or because it was information which solely concerned the personal affairs of those third parties.